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President Donald Trump slammed his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, and his Chicago Presidential Center during his meeting with the new Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney.
Trump referred to the project as a “disaster,” and blamed “woke” construction workers.
The meeting between Trump and Carney in the Oval Office focused mostly on tariffs and the shaky relationship between Canada and the U.S.
Responding to Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st U.S. state, Carney said his country is “not for sale” and “won’t be for sale, ever.”
Meanwhile, Trump said the U.S.-Canadian border was “artificial,” and doggedly suggested once again that Canada join the U.S.
But Trump also slipped in a few digs about the Obama Presidential Library, which is currently under construction in Jackson Park in Chicago.
"I mean, look, President Obama — and if he wanted help, I'd give him help because I build on time and on budget — he's building his presidential library in Chicago. It's a disaster," said Trump. "And he said something to the effect, 'I only want DEI, I only want woke.' He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people, and they have massive cost overruns, the job is stopped. I don't know, it's a disaster."
It wasn’t clear what exactly Trump meant by “woke,” but he said the Obama project construction workers weren’t “mean” enough. Trump used undocumented Polish construction workers in New York before he first became president, according to court testimony. He paid $1 million to settle labor complaints in 1998.
The Obama Foundation website states that “impressive strides” have been made to finish the presidential center, and the organization says it is “doing so while working to build an environmentally friendly campus.”
In last month’s construction update, the foundation outlined how exterior glass is being installed at “Home Court,” which is being described as a “45,000-square foot multipurpose space.”
Meanwhile, “granite work” is being done on the Forum Building, which will host “community activity and engagement.”
The “two courtyards will bring light and green space to the building,” the foundation states.
Installation of the museum exhibits has started, which will be an “immersive experience” outlining the history of Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and their “role in democratic progress.”
The update stated that dozens of “energy-efficient plans” are being enacted on the campus.
Trump blasted the project as "millions of dollars, like many, many — I mean, really, millions of dollars over budget.”
He claimed the issues stemmed from Obama wanting “to be very politically correct and he didn't use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love.”
"He wanted people that, like, never did it before, and he's got a disaster on his hands," he said.
An Obama Foundation spokesperson told CBS News that Trump’s comments were baseless and that he was speaking about "a relatively common dispute between two subcontractors over work that has already been completed.”
"Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale, and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world," the foundation said. "We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas' legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders."
English (US) ·